Page 20 of Honor Bound

He rose from his chair, his mind already racing with implications. If Roan had gone to Plateau, he was no longer just a rogue son—he was a threat to the Legion’s control. And if he had found the survivors from the pods…

He exhaled slowly, his decision already made.

“Prepare my fleet. We leave within the hour for Plateau,” he ordered coldly.

The hunt had begun.

* * *

Jeslean: Legion Command

Director Andri Andronikos sat in his office, the glow of the holo-screen casting stark lines across his refined features. His fingers drummed lightly on the polished obsidian desk as he scrolled through the latest intelligence reports. The destruction of Jeslean had been complete—just as planned. A brutal yet necessary demonstration of the Legion’s power.

The reports detailed the aftermath: smoldering ruins, scattered resistance, and most importantly, no confirmed sightings of any surviving council members. It should have been satisfying, yet Andri felt a slow, creeping sense of unease. No confirmed survivors meantuncertainty, and uncertainty was something he despised.

The council had been a relic of the past, a gathering of weak-willed idealists clinging to foolish notions of diplomacy. But, even cowards had their uses. Dead, they were nothing more than martyrs who would soon be forgotten. If any of them had survived, hidden away by sympathizers or the Gallant Order, they could still be dangerous.

Andri exhaled, leaning back in his chair. His office was a contrast to the cold brutality of the Legion’s warships—elegant, calculated, and precise. The walls were lined with dark wood panels, a rare luxury in the vastness of deep space. A crystal decanter sat on a side table, filled with Ma’cronian brandy, untouched. Every item in the room had been selected with care, a testament to his meticulous nature. There was power in refinement.

Let Coleridge revel in war and scars—true dominance was built with precision and patience.

The sharp ping of his commlink interrupted his thoughts. He frowned, activating the connection with a flick of his fingers. The holo-image of Zoak flickered to life, the Turbinta’s slit-pupiled eyes gleamed with familiar malice.

Andri’s expression turned to ice. “You were expected to report sooner.”

Zoak tilted his head slightly, unbothered by the reprimand. “I bring you news worth the wait, Director.”

Andri steepled his fingers, his patience thinning. “Then share it.”

Zoak’s thin lips pursed. “Your nephew, Roan Landais, is on Plateau.”

Andri’s fingers tightened slightly, the only outward sign of his irritation.Of course, he is.Roan had always been drawn to his mother’s people, no matter how hard Coleridge had tried to break him of it.

Zoak wasn’t finished. “He isn’t alone. Word is, he may have found a survivor from one of the pods you’ve been searching for.”

Andri’s breath slowed.A survivor.

“You’re certain?”

Zoak shrugged. “Nothing is ever certain, Director. But my sources are reliable.”

Andri’s mind raced through the implications. If the survivor was an Ancient Knight, then Roan had already become a problem.

A larger problem than my half-brother will admit.

Andri’s voice remained measured. “And what of Dorane LeGaugh?”

Zoak’s expression darkened slightly. “That’s where things get interesting. There are whispers that Dorane has been supplying the rebels with weapons and ships.” He paused, his slit-pupiled eyes watching for a reaction. “If that’s true, Director, then your hold over this sector is not as strong as you might believe.”

Andri inhaled slowly, pressing his fingers together in thought. Dorane LeGaugh had been a thorn in his side for too long. A war profiteer who claimed to be neutral, always on the highest bidder’s side. But if Zoak’s intel was correct, then Dorane had picked a side—and it was not the Legion’s.

That cannot be allowed.

“Dorane is a liability,” Andri said coldly. “Eliminate him.”

Zoak’s brows lifted slightly. “A direct order for execution? You’re finally making this interesting, Director.”

Andri’s gaze was cold and sharp as a blade. “He has influence. He controls supply chains, fuel stations, trade routes, not to mention a sizable army of mercenaries of his own. If he sides with the rebels, they will not just fight back. They willrise.That cannot be allowed.”

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